Elvan Kama Kurtz

In 2016, I found myself on a 13-hour flight, traveling over 5,000 miles across the world, leaving behind my family, friends, and the only life I had known. I came to Philadelphia with a dream: to become a marriage and family therapist and, one day, build a practice of my own. After a decade of experience in the field of marriage and family therapy, today, I am the founder of Praxis Relationship Therapy, a proud dual citizen of Türkiye and the United States, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with advanced training in the Gottman Method, one of the most research-supported approaches to couples therapy. My mission is to help individuals and couples move through pain, betrayal, and disconnection toward healing, clarity, and deeper connection. I believe relationships have the power to wound us, but they also have the power to heal us. Through culturally attuned, evidence-based therapy, I support my clients in understanding themselves more deeply and creating relationships that feel secure, intentional, and aligned with who they are becoming. I specialize in helping adult individuals and couples navigate relationship challenges, including communication breakdowns, affair recovery and betrayal trauma, emotional and sexual disconnection, and the lasting impact of emotionally immature or narcissistic family systems; helping you rebuild trust, deepen connection, and feel more secure in your relationships. My approach is warm, collaborative, and deeply human. I strive to create a space where you feel safe enough to be fully yourself, not judged, not rushed, and not alone in what you are carrying. Being trusted with someone’s story is something I hold with great care and respect. Outside of the therapy room, I am a wife, dog mom to two rescues, coffee lover, and travel enthusiast who finds joy in exploring new places and cultures. I love supporting art and artists and believe deeply in the power of self-expression. I also appreciate humor, comedy, and music, and I am often “that one friend” who doesn’t say much but offers a well-timed one-liner. A decade after that flight that changed my life, I still carry the same curiosity, passion and courage that first began in Istanbul. Today, I feel honored to do work that is deeply meaningful to me and to walk alongside my clients as they heal, grow, and reconnect. I’m so glad you’re here! Education & Trainings: -Master of Family Therapy — Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA with Dean's Scholarship -​Bachelor of Arts, Double Major in Psychology and Sociology — Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye -Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Pennsylvania. #MF001531 -Gottman Method Couples Therapy Trained -Gottman Method Affair Recovery Trained ​-Prepare/Enrich Premarital Counseling Certified Facilitator ​-Certified Personality Disorders Treatment Provider -Certified Adult ADHD Specialist